Improvement in machines for making oakum



J; TIBBALS.

Making Oakum.

No. 1,077. Patented Feb. 8', 1839.

thorn STATES JAMES TIBBALS, OF HADDAM, CONNECTICUT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. HAVTZ, dated February8, 1839.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES TIBBALS, of Haddam, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Machinery for the Making of Oakum; and I do herebydeclare that the following is an exact description of the same asinvented or improved by me.

Make of two-inch plank abox, A, (as in the annexed drawing,) water-ti ght, and open at the top,'sixteen feet long, six feet wide, and two and ahalf feet deep. On the top of the box at that end thereof under whichthe furnace is to be set place a piece of board, D, three inches thick,three feet and one-eighth of a foot wide, and of the same length withthe width of the box, so that one part thereof shall rest on the box andbe screwed or otherwise fastened thereto, and the residue shall projectover the end of the box. Support this projection by a brace, E, oneither side, ex-

- tending from the bottom of the box against the uprights K, diagonallyto the extreme end of the projection, which is elevated about six inchesby beveling. Construct a cover for the top of the box, consisting ofeleven equal or nearly equal separate and movable parts. (Notrepresented in the drawing.) On the sides of the box at the top screwtwo waste-boards,

- II, ,of convenient width, and of the same thickness with the sides ofthe box, so that the upper edge of the waste-boards shall be level withthe top of the movable covers. On the sides of the box near the end ofthe projecting piece place two rails, I, each three inches square, andthree feet and a half long, on the two uprights K, one resting on andrising six inches above the projecting piece, and the other rising thesame height, but extending downward nearly to the bottom of the box.These rails are used to hang the oakum on for draining after theoperation is performed. Construct of wood or iron a furnace-box, L,watertight, and two and a half feet square. In this box place a smallcopper furnace, M, eighteen inches in diameter and two feet long,resting on iron supporters, so that no part shall be near the box, if ofwood, and allowing free passage for water round the furnace. The rim ofthe mouth of the furnace is screwed to the box so as to make the boxwater-tight, and the mouth of the furnace is closed with a is sixteenfeet.

copper or sheet-iron door. From the inner end of the furnace extends acopper pipe, N, about three inches in diameter, to carry oil the smokefrom the furnace. This pipe is inclosed in a box, called the funnel-box,O, twelve inches square and thirteen feet long, extending from thefurnace-box to the other end of the main box, so that the whole lengthThe pipe and furnace are both inclosed in water. The furnace-box andfunnel-box are both screwed to the center of the main box, in the bottomwhereof a suitablenumber of holes are bored for the free passage ofWater into the furnace-box and funnel-box. On the inside of the main boxat the sides thereof place eight postsfour on a side, one in eachcorner, and two at equal intermediate distanceseach two and one fourthinchessquare, and three and threefourths inches high. On these posts laya frame with sides and end pieces corresponding to the box, the sidesand ends being framed three inches by six inches, and the upper surfaceof the side pieces being shod with iron to serve as a railway, P, forthe carriage Q. Make and place on the railway the carriage formed of aframe of sides and end pieces fourteen feet long, the side and endpieces being one-eighth wider than the sides and end pieces of therailway, and three inches thick, withthree friction rolls on each of theside pieces, and resting on six cast wheels made of brass or iron, andeach six inches in diameter, so that the carriage rests upon a perfectlevel. Set off at' each end of this carriage six inches and divide theresidue into sixteen equal parts, so as to admit sixteen bars, a. Makethese bars each three inches wide and one and onethird of an inch thick.Let them cdgewise into the carriage about two-thirds of their width.Each of these bars has four screws, 1), set at equal distances, fastenedinto the bar, and lying horizontally when placed in the car-, riage.Each screw has placed on the end of it a nut with a handle, andunderneath these nuts a bar of iron, 0, extends from the outermost screwon one end to the outermost screw on the other. This bar corresponds tothe other bar, except that slants are cut opposite the screws on oneside, so that the bar may be removed without interfering with thescrews; or this bar may be turned edgewiseto the successively and laythem on the lids.

the strands end for end, and replace the bars other bar and bent roundthe screws,.so as to give the nuts a fair hearing. The junk is cut fromfourteen to eighteen inches long. The strands of the stock are opened orseparated by the hand, and one end thereof placed between the screws,and laid in succession from side to side in the whole sixteen bars,which are then let into the carriage. The sixteen bars thus filled withstrands, amounting to about. one hundred and seventy pounds, are

called a washing. Fill the box with water to the top of the railway, andkeep itscalding hot. From the end of the carriage extends a pitman, R,made of wood of a suitable size, or of one-and-a-half-inch round iron,three feet nine inches to the upper end of a vertical balance-beam, S.This balance-beam is hung in a mortise in a piece of timber, T,framedinto the center of the end of the box. 011 the lower end of thebalance-beam is another pitman, U, connected with a Wheel, having acrank of twelve inches sweep, which governs the distance of the motion.The revolution of the wheel, moved by any competent power, impels themachine carrying the junk equably to and fro in the hot water. Continuethe motion from five to ten minutes, and the strands will be formedtwo-thirds of their length into Oakum. Then lift the lids, take out thebars Shift in the carriage. Keep the wheel in motion again from five toten minutes, when the other ends of the strands will be washed and thewhole will be fit to take out and hang on the rails to drain. Afterdraining spread the oakum on lines to dry, and thence carry it to befinished.

The annexed drawing is referred to as apart of this specification.

The dimensions of the machine, as hereinbefore described, correspondwith those of the machine which I use; but it is obvious that thedimensions may be varied in any degree or proportion to suit theoperator, and that the machine may be larger or smaller as occasion mayrequire.

I do not claim any one of the parts of the ma chine above described,taken separately, as my invention or improvement; but

I do claim as my invention or improvement- The combination of the saidhorizontal carriage and its appendages with the other parts of the saidmachine. as above described, carrying junk in strands equably back andforth in hot water, and the application of the principle of vibratorymotion, in the manner set forth, thereby created to the manufacture ofoakum.

Dated at Middletown the 24th day of March, A. D. 1838.

' JAMES THKBALS.

Witnesses:

SYLvEsfrnn S'IOGKINo, JONA. Kansas.

